Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tue and Wed Nov 17 & 18, 2009 - Holiday Treat Eat-n-Meet


Tue and Wed. Well, what has gone on for the past two days? Bridgette and RJ are enjoying their new son and our new grandson, Jon. Jon is currently in the NICU at Sugarland Methodist Hospital in Sugarland, TX as they monitor his bilirubin levels – I remember back 26 years to when Chris and Courtney spent all those weeks in the NICU when they were both 10 wks premature….. not bad memories, just a crazy time for everyone involved. Jon will not be there long, according to the docs and nurses, but watching and listening as Bridgette and RJ go through what I did long ago, it makes my heart ache. Jon is a strong baby, eating well and very vibrant, but the docs want to watch him for a few days. And as young parents, I know how crazy it can be to have your firstborn children not with you. There are pics of Jon at my flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/stephenj (look on the right side of the page for albums).

I went to the WLS support group on Tue night and the theme tfor that night was Holiday Eat-n-Meet. Attendees were to bring a favorite gastric-friendly dish and lots of copies of the recipe. Oh my goodness, the food! A cheesecake make with Splenda. 130-calorie enchiladas. Two cool-whip pies (fat free, sugar free!). pita wedges and hummus dip. I’ll get the recipes typed in next week and post them. Pics of the support group feast are at my flickr page, too – look to the right side for album titles. This was my first meeting “post op”, and it felt good to hear everyone go around the room and introduce themselves – and I got to say “post op 10 weeks, and I’m down 45 pounds”. There were about 35 folks there, plus an additional 8 to 10 who are pre-op (a requirement to be approved for surgery is that you attend the weekly support group at least three times).

Dr. Richard’s surgeon’s group that sponsors this meeting has very far-reaching tentacles – http://www.obesitysolutions.com/ – there were people there from Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and of course Georgia. The leader each week is one of the nurses from the office, and they are a bit self-serving with samples of vitamins, protein supplement, and new drink offerings each intended to help us keep our “numbers up” and weight down. There were several folks there that are 2- and 3-years post op. What amazing stories. On Dec 08 we are having a clothing swap meet, and I will have a bunch of ‘way too big’ clothes to get rid of – I wore a pair of pants to work yesterday and didn’t think about it as I got dressed, but I spent all day yanking them UP. Finally I just undid my belt to see exactly how much too big they were – I bet I could pull the waist of those pants out 8 to 10 inches or more. I shoulda took a picture. I will before I get rid of those pants! I also was able to wear a 2xl shirt that I had in the back of my closet. I really liked that shirt when I bought it years ago, but never thought I could fit into it. Oh yeah I could!

I don’t talk much about my real numbers, but this is big. I am down 44.8 pounds in the 4 weeks since surgery, currently at 298.4. My goal weight is 215-225, though the FDA-approved chart shows that a 6-ft male’s ideal weight is 175. I don’t think I can get to 175, and Dr. Richard said that the low-200’s is more reasonable. I go back on 11/30/09 for a 6-week followup. My blood sugar is right at the normal range, with no insulin or pills since the day before surgery. Blood pressure normal, and my blood gasses are all right where they need to be, along with other necessary measurable enzymes, minerals, vitamins and lipids. I can tell that the pressure on my arthritic left knee is getting better, and my asthma is much better – I can’t think of the last time I needed to use an albuterol inhaler. I did have a flare-up of gout in my left big toe – I hope this weight loss helps with that, too.

I don’t feel hungry, I am experiencing some stomach queasiness but nothing terrible, I’ve experienced NO Nausea, no vomiting or reflux, and I don’t miss Diet Cokes a bit (well, maybe just a bit). I thank God every day for this blessing, and for my continued success.

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